Burial-casket.



VPATENTEDJAN. 17, 1905. J. ANDERSON 126. W. TESTER.

v I BURIAL GASKET.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 8, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@lnvexyfoul/ James 170(76/190/7. 191mm 0'80 ye WTeS/e-n I v Hozuug No.780,468. PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.

J. ANDERSON & G. W. TESTER.

BURIAL GASKET.

APPIlIOATION FILED D30. 8, 1903.

\ 2 SHEEN-SHEET 2.

nuanro'ui Q vihmmu UNITED STATES Patented January 17, 1905.

PATENT OFFI E.

BURIAL-CASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 780,468, dated January17, 1905. Application filed December 8, 1903. Serial No. 184,287.

To alt w lwm it may concern;

Be it known that we, J AMES ANDERSON and GEORGE W.-TESTER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Liberty Center, in the county'of Henryand 'State'of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements inGaskets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to' new anduseful im provements in caskets; andits object is to provide a device of this character having a suitablyornamented back plate which is adapted to be automatically projectedfrom the rear wall of the casket when the same is opened and which isprovided with means for securing it in lowered position when it isdesired to close the casket. I

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of acasket having a compartment extending along one side thereof, in whichis slidably mounted a back plate which is arranged on a suitable guideprovided therefor. This back plate is adapted to be locked in loweredposition in any suitable manner and when released is automaticallyprojected into raised position.

The invention also consists in the further novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed,

and illustrated in the accompanying d rawings,

showing the preferred form of our invention, and in wh1ch.

Figure l is a front elevation of a casket constructed in accordance withour invention,

' the same being shown opened. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 isa section on line 3 3, Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a central transversesection through the casket when closed.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a casket formedof any suitable material and having the front face 2 thereof hinged orotherwise mounted so as to permit the same to be opened. A partition 3extends longitudinally of the casket at one side thereof and forms acompartment 4:, the top of which is normally closed by ahinged cap 5,which extends along the side of the casket and is similar in form to theupper edges of the other sides ofthe casket. Straps'6, formed of elasticmaterial, are secured to the walls of compartment 4 and to the ends of aback plate 4, and maybe suitably ornamented. The elastic straps aresufiiciently strong to hold the back plate 7 normally projected upwardfrom compartment 4, .and these straps expand and are tensioned when theback plate 9 is pressed downward into the compartment and immediatelycontract and raise said plate when it is released. In Fig. 3 we haveshown the back plate projected from compartment 4 and held in suchposition by the contracted elastic straps 6, and in Fig. 4 the backplate is shown locked in lowered position within the compartment 4. Ears9 extend from the ends of the back -.plate and are .adapted to contactwith stopplates 10, extending inward from the end wallsof thecompartment 4.

Back plate 7 is adapted to be held in position within the compartment 4by means of a pin 11, which extends through the partition 3 and into thepath of the back plate. When it is desired to open the casket, the cap 5is swung backward and the front 2 downward.

The pin 11 is then removed, and the tensioned strap 6 will contract andraise the back plate 7 until the ears 9 contact with the stop-plates 10.The rod 8 serves to guide the back plate accurately into proper raisedposition. The pin 11 can then be reinserted into the partition 3 andinto an aperture 12, formed Within the lower portion of the back plate.To close the casket, the operation above described is reversed. The backplate 7 when projected from its compartment 4 enhances the appearance ofthe casket and gives it the appearance of a couch having an ornamentalback. This is especially true'when the front face 2 of the casket is inlowered position.

In the foregoing description we have shown v the preferred form of ourinvention; but we do not limit ourselves thereto, as we are aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and we therefore reserve theright to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of ourinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Thecombination with a casket; of a plate s1 idably mounted at one sidethereof, and means for automatically projecting the plate from the topof the casket.

2. The combination with a casket havinga longitudinally extendingpartition therein forming a compartment; of a back plate slidablymounted within the compartment, and means for automatically projectingthe back plate from the compartment.

3. The combination with a casket having a partition therein forming acompartment, and a guide-rod within the compartment; of a back plateslidably mounted upon the guiderod and within the compartment, and meansfor automatically projecting the back plate from the compartment.

4. The combination with a casket having a partition therein forming acompartment, and a guide-rod within the compartment; of a back plateslidably mounted upon the guiderod and within the compartment, means forautomatically projecting the back plate from the compartment, and stopsfor the back plate. 5. The combination with a casket having a partitiontherein forming a compartment, and a guide-rod within the compartment;of a back plate slidably mounted upon the guiderod and within thecompartment, stops, and elastic straps secured to the back plate and thecasket.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES ANDERSON. GEORGE W. TESTER. Witnesses:

G. W. PENNOCK, D. S. MIREs.

